Reknitting needle



lime/10h N 01 7 H MO. u 7 u 1 v ER v F I v v q Patented June 17,1930

- UNITED STATES PATENT FF! nnwnnn JL 110mm, or. nosron, nassacnusnr'rs, assrenoa 'ro nrnnnn aurom'rrc nosmmz mean me, or aosron, mssacnusn'r'rs nnxm'rrme NEEDLE Application filed November 20, 1 928. 1 Serial No. 320,575.

This invention-relates toy needles adapted for use in repairing ravels or runs in knitted articles and pertains more particularly to hand operated needles of the type havin a hooked end and a latch or bridge, pivo to swing toward and from the hook, thereby to retain a thread of the material being repaired withinthe hook during certain stages of the reknittinga operation. The present invention is in t e nature of an improvement upon the needle described and claimed in my pending application'Serial No. 266,?18, filed April 2, 1928, and the rincipal ob ect ;of the invention is to provi e a magnetized 1-5 element such as a ma netized bar or electromagnet so disposed with respect to the needle that the magnetic field surrounding one of its ends exerts .its attraction upon the pnoted latch or bridge and tends continuously to draw the latch away from the hook,

Although the magnetized bar or other magnet may be emplo' ed with any usual type of reknitting nee 1e having a hooked end and pivoted latch, it has especial utility when utilized in association with the needle shown and described in my said application. Accordingly the recommended em odi-ment of the present invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises the former needle and a. preferred type of magnetized bar connected thereto in operative relationship.

In said drawings, Fi 1 is a side view of the improved needle, s owing the latch in normal o'sition; and Figs. 2 to 5 show somewhat diagrammatic representations of successive steps or stages in the repairing operation accomplished by the improved needle.

As more fully described in my said apphcation, my rior device preferably comprlse's a body or andle portion 7 formed of any suitable material such as fused metal, a steelneedle 8 fixed at one end within the handle and having a curved hook 9 atits outer end, a latch or bridge 10 loosel' pivoted to the needle in proximity to the ook 9 so that it ma swing forwardly to close the hook or backwardly to lie substantially alongside the needle, and a resilient clasp member 11 having its outer end bent transversely of the as indicated at 14.

exert its magnetic force, especially in the field needle to provide an abutment 12 which serves as a thread stop member. The magnetized steel bar 13 is preferably connected to the handle 7 so as to extend parallel to the needle 8, and preferably has its forward end bent transversel toward the latch 10, he tip of said forward end l is spaced from the are described by the swinging end of the latch so that the latch does not contact with the magnetized end of bar during its swinging movement; but the end 14 is sufficiently close to the latch to attract the tip of the latch and hold it substantially at right angles to the needle in'the normal position shown in Fig. 1.

The bar 13 may be rigidly attached to the handle 7 in any suitable manner, for example by means of opposed plates 15 clamped upon the handle and the bar, by. bolt 16 and nut 17 Obviously, however, other means may be employed rigldly to connect the bar in proper position with respect to the needle and latch. The bar 13 accordingly furnishes a substantial store of magnetism which will.

surrounding the end 14, for a considerable period of time. It will be found, there-- fore, that the latch 10 is supported in its normal posltion with respect to the needle (Fig. 1) except when urged either rearwardly toward the shank of the needle, or forwardly toward the hook 9, by contact with such external objects as the threads of the article being repaired, during the reknitting opera-- tion.

The four representative stages of this operation which are illustrated in Figs. 2 to 5" are not intended to portray precise positions of the needle, but are shown for the purpose. of indicating particularly the automatic operation of the magnetically controlled latch 10. In Fig. 2 ,the hooked end of the needle has been inserted downwardly through the last existing loop 18 at the end of a run in 1 the material, and this loop thread has carried the latch rearwardly toward the shank y of the needle. In Fig. 3 said loop thread has slipped beyond the end of-the latch, after further downward progress of the needle, andthe latch has reassumed its normal posiloo tion; the loop 18 being now temporarily'retained between the clasp member 11 and the needle shank 8, and the hook 9 having reached beyond the next thread 19 of the ravel.

In Fig. 4 the needle is being withdrawn to carry the thread 19 through the loop 18, and the latch 10 has been closed upon hook 9 by contact with loop 18, which is slipping over the latch and the hook guarded thereby. And in Fig. 5, the thread 19 has been drawn 'upwardly through loop 18 to format new loop 19, the latch 10 being released and restored to normal position by attraction of the magnetized bar end 14.

With loop 19 serving as the initial loop of a second series of steps, the operation is repeatedsuccessively until the ravel or run is completely repaired. It will be understood that these operations are performed at great speed and with little, if any, visual attention onthe part. of the operator, Accordingly, the provision of the magnetized bar 13, which 7 ensures that the latch 10 is quickly restored to a. position normalto the needle, either from its forward or rearward position, upon its release, is of great assistance to sustained speed in operation without faulty operation of the needle itself.

The functions of the'latch 10, clasp element 11 and stop member 12 are set forth with greater particularity in my said copending application; it being understood. that the stop member, which serves as a contacting abutment against the threads of the material to impede forward progress of the needle, may take various forms. It will also be understood that other forms of magnets, for example 'electromagnets, may be employed in place of the bar 13; and that other details of construction may be varied without departing from the essence of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

A needle constructed in accordance with this invention permits the repairing operation to be performed at greater speed, without interruption due to defective functioning of the latch, than is possible with needles heretofore used; and accordingly appreciably decreases the time and labor consumed.

' I claim:

- 1. A device of the class described comprising a needle having a hooked end, a latch adapted to close said hooked end, a magnet disposed in spaced relation to the latch and adaptedto attract the latch away from said hooked end, and means rigidly connecting the magnet with the needle.

2. A device of the class described comprising a needle having a hook at its forward end, a latch ivote to the needle in proximity to the ook whereby the needle may swing forwardly to close t e hook and rearwardly toward the needle, a magnetized element dis osed in spaced relation to the tip of the swingable latch and adapted to attract the latch away from the hook in one direction and away from the shank of the needle in the opposite direction, and means connecting the magnetized element with the needle.

3. A device of the class described comprising a needle having a hook at the forward end, a latch pivoted to the needle in proximity to the hook, whereby the latch may swing forwardly to close the hook and rear: Wardly toward the shank of the needle, a

magnetized bar extending substantially parallel to the needle and having one of its ends disposed in closely spacedrelation to the tip of the swingable latch, whereby the latch is normally attracted-and held substantially at right angles to the needle by the magnetism of said bar end, and means connecting the bar to the needle.

4. A device of the classdescribed comprising a handle, a needle fixed longitudinally in the handle and having a hook at its free forward end, a latch pivoted to the needle I in proximity to the hook, whereby the latch may swing forwardly to close the hook and rearwardly to lie substantially alongside the needle, a magnetized bar extending substantially parallel to the needle in the plane of the swingable latch, said bar having its forward end in closely spaced relationship to the tip of the swingable latch when said latch is substantially at right {angles to the needle, so that the latch is attracted away from the hook in one direction and away from the needle in the opposite direction, and means rigidly connecting said bar to said handle.

5. A device of the class described comprising\a handle, a needle fixed longitudinally in said'handle and having a thread engaging hook at its free forward end, a latch pivoted to the needle in proximity to the hook, whereby the latch may swing forwardly to close the hook and rearwardly toward the shank of the needle, a stop member connected with the handle and disposed transversely of the needle to the rearward of the latch pivot whereby to constitute an abutment adapted to meet the fabric and therebyimpede forward progress of the needle, a magnetized element disposedin spaced relation to the tip of the swingable latch and adapted to attract the latch away from the hook in one direction and away from the needle in the opposite direction, and means rigidly connecting the magnetized element to the handle.

6. A device of theclass described comprisso' i ing a handle, a needle fixed'lo-ngitudinally, I I

the hook and-retain a thread therein and rearwardly to lie substantially alongside the needle, 0. stop member connected with the handle and disposed transversely of the nee- (lle to the rearward ofthe latch pivot whereby to constitute an abutment adapted to meet a thread and thereby impede forward progress of the handle, and a magnetized element disposed in operative relationship to the latch for attracting the/latch away from the hook. 7. A device of the class described comprising a needle have a hooked end, a latch pivoted to the needle and adapted to close said hooked end, a magnet spaced from the latch and adapted to attract the latch, and a stop member disposed transversely of the needle and constituting pede progress of the needle into the fabric.

8. A device ofthe class described comprising a needle havin a hooked end, a latch pivoted to the nee le and adapted to close said hooked end, a magnet spaced from the latch and adapted to attract the latch, and a stop member disposed transversely of the needle and constituting an abutment adapted to meet a thread of the fabric, thereby to impede progress of the needle into the fabric.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD J. HOFFMAN.

an abutment adapted to im- 

